6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
Hmmm good question. I think the gadget I couldn't live without is the timer for my lights. Literally, I can leave the seedlings to themselves for days on end and they're fine. I also have a 2 gallon pump sprayer I use to water the seedlings when they're in their smallest container. I tried a hand mister the first year, and was close to carpal tunnel after a few days, LOL. I also do like the seed incubator I created (the foil-lined styrofoam box). That's allowed me to keep my seeds out in the unheated garden shed and not worry when them temps get down in the 20's. Even my heat-loving tomatoes and peppers thrived through some cold temps, and I think my box gets the credit--though I can't be 100% sure.
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I was given one of the 4 shelf portable greenhouses for Christmas this year, it worked great to overwinter my coleus cuttings and baby canna seedlings inside the house. I started toms and peppers, and some 4 o'clocks. However once it got to be early March or so, the humidity increased too much and it was literally dripping with condensation. Seems obvious now, but the sun was basically steaming my plants. Ugh. So I removed the cover, and all was right again. At that point I was more concerned with causing damp off and other fungus problems than about keeping the humidity up.
PS the fungus gnats that arrived with my amaryllis bulbs really enjoyed a nice steamy greenhouse, yuck.
I've had that happen quite often, it can happen on any seedling. I always spray the shell of that seed with water until it gets soft (which happens fast). After that, it's usually easily pulled off (gently holding the green seed leaf with tweezers). Even if you break the tip of the seed leaf (cotyledon) off the seedling will continue to grow just fine. Just go slow and easy and you'll be fine.
Thanks. I tried to do that on Sunday evening and am worried that I may have mangled them - one seedling is still greenish and the other disappeared somewhere into the soil. Mostly I couldn't figure out how to water/soften the shells very well. Crossing my fingers!
By warm enough I mean no more frosts likely. Though if you are obsessive compulsive enough you could put little plastic cups over them if you get a frost warning. I am in zone 4 where the last frost date is officially March 31st. I usually push it to mid March and keep my fingers crossed, but its definitely to early right now for me to put out anything that isn't frost tolerant. You could also keep them in pots for a while, and take them outside during the day, bring them in at night, but that wont help the over crowding. Search "hardening off" on this thread before you move them outside, so that you understand that they need a gentle transition. - Petunias will have the same issues, but they are much slower growers than zinnia, & need more babying, I am trying them for the first time this year myself, so cant give you any solid advice.
You are in zone 5, so if you plant outside now, they will still go through some cold period. Usually the needed period is only about a month. The seeds thought they have gone through fall/winter, so when the weather warms up again, they start to sprout.
But I have also grown some without stratification. The germination rate is lower, but we usually have lots of coneflower seeds. I would suggest growing lots of them (or all that you have). In the fall you can transplant some of them.
I have sown the common purple cone flower and the white swan without any cold period (straight from the package) and had at least 80% germination in 4 days. I sowed coneflower Magnus a week ago and only have 2 sprouting under lights. I probably should have chilled them, but I always try the easiest thing first to see if it works.
I water my tomatoes and peppers overhead, keep them in an unheated workshop, use plain old potting soil and I've never had damping off. But while we get foggy mornings, California isn't typically as humid as states east of the Rockies, so maybe it's the natural climate here that is helping me out, or something I'm unwittingly doing that is offsetting nasty habits.
I do find it funny that some people do things other people swear against and come up with the same results. The more time I spend on these forums, the less I'm finding myself using terms like "must". Not to say there isn't a ton of experience to learn from on these forums. There most definitely is.
Here is a link that might be useful: my blog
I never have a problem with damping off. Here's what I do. YMMV. First, I plant in plastic (6-pack) cells. I fill the cells with a good quality soiless mix (no particular brand - but labeled for germination). I water the mix (in the trays) with boiling water. When they are thoroughly wet, I put them aside overnight before planting. This allows the mix to become uniformly moist. If there is any water left in the tray, I dump it out (rarely happens). The next day I plant. I cover the seeds with bird gravel and lightly water. I cover the trays with a humidity dome, propped open and put them on an unlit shelf until germination (except for those that need light to germinate). It is usually a few days before I need to water them again, but I check thm daily. Make sure the humidity domes are propped open to allow for good air circulation.
I don't fertilize the seedlings I start in soiless mix. For one thing, depending on what you buy, the mix may contain all you need to get them through transplantation. For another, I've found that generally "less is more" when it comes to the question of what and whether to add things to my seed starts. Knock wood, I have very good, consistent results with healthy plants.
mandolls, sorry I misread your question earlier. The reason people use fish/seaweed fertilizer on soilless mix is probably because it still works. The breakdown is going to take some time but not that long.
The soil is relatively sterile but not perfectly sterile, but you always have something in the air. If you imagine putting a little piece of fish or moist seaweed on your soilless mix, it is not likely that the fish/seaweed will not spoil because the medium is sterile. It is going to breakdown and pretty fast too.
So all you have is a slightly delayed fertilizing. I would say if you happen to have chemical fertilizer, use them (diluted) for your seedlings; if not the organic should work too....
I am using both peat pots and a biodegradable egg carton...no mold on the peat pots, but the egg cartons have a spider-like white mold forming around the edges...I tried the 10-1 hp solution, so will see how that works. Thanks for all the good advice, also.
I repot every thing deeper except trees. They develop more roots.
I repot everything deeper and so far have not had any stems rot.